Minutes

Minutes of the Planning, Performance & Review Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 19 September 2002 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members:

• Richard Sumray (Chair)
• Reshard Auladin (Deputy Chair)
• Lynne Featherstone
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Nicholas Long

MPA Officers:

• Catherine Crawford (Clerk)
• Derrick Norton (Head of Strategic Planning & Review)
• Johanna Gillians (Senior Analyst)
• Elizabeth Turner (MPA Treasury)
• Nick Baker (Head of Committee Services)

MPS Officers:

• Tarique Ghaffur (Assistant Commissioner)
• Tim Godwin (Deputy Assistant Commissioner)
• Carol McDonald (Head of Corporate Performance Analysis Unit)
• John Zlotnicki (Head of Corporate Planning)
• Anne Wheeler (Head of Consultancy Group)

15. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Anthony Arbour.

16. Declarations of interest

(Agenda item 2)

No interests were declared.

17. Minutes

(Agenda item 3)

Arising from the minutes it was noted that the Human Resources Committee had agreed to the Committee recommendation that retention be the subject for the next best value review.

It was also noted that the Committee would receive further reports on rape judicial disposal performance and the trafficking in human beings for sexual exploitation at its meeting in November.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of the former Planning, Performance and Review Committee held on 22 July 2002 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

18. July performance report

(Agenda item 4)

The Committee received a report that summarised the MPS performance against the policing plan objectives for 2002/03. In receiving this report members were given a brief update on the recent performance figures recently received for August.

Members noted that street crime figures had declined, but raised concern that others areas such as burglary had increased, it was noted that Lambeth had reduced street crime and burglary and that this should be investigated for best practice purposes. The Committee also discussed the poor figures relating to public satisfaction and agreed that a report on this matter be considered at a future meeting. The MPS agreed to supplement this report with current work being undertaken with other partnerships, including Surrey University and work being undertaken in Southwark and Enfield.

The Committee also discussed Operation Safer Homes and its was agreed that a report on this operation, and its impact on Operation Safer Streets, should be presented to a future meeting, also outlining the compatibility of both operations, and sustainability.

Members also commissioned a report on gun related crime, particularly current trends. In commissioning the report members noted that any Trident related issues would addressed by the Co-ordination and Policing Committee and in doing so any consideration should include the increase in the use of converted air guns in some crimes.

Resolved – That

1. the report be received; and
2. the Committee receives reports on public satisfaction, Operation Safer Homes and gun related crime trends (Trident issues should be referred to Co-ordination and Policing Committee) to a future meeting of the Committee.

19. 999 call answering and response to urgent incidents

(Agenda item 5)

Members received a report that gave details of performance against targets in respect of 999 call answering and response times to immediate incidents and which examined areas to improve performance.

Members expressed concern that current targets were not being met and suggested that this could be linked to the public’s increased dissatisfaction with the service, particularly as the figures suggested that there had been a drop in the number of 999 calls and a rise in the number of officers. Members also discussed the role of British Telecom and the need to ensure that service level agreements are maintained and the need for performance information to be made more readily available.

In response to members concerns, it was reported that recruitment problems at call centres had had an impact, but this situation was actively being addressed. It was also reported that the impact of the introduction of the C3i scheme should make the service more responsive.

The Chair suggested that intermediate recommendations from the best value review of crime management are needed to address management issues before the introduction of C3i.

It was agreed that the Planning Panel should consider current time targets in the first instance.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted; and
2. the Planning Panel consider whether to retain the current time targets as part of the 2003/04 planning process.

20. Performance report: case tracking of street crime arrests

(Agenda item 6)

Following the initiative of the Prime Minister on street crime, the Home Office established a case tracker system to allow progress on street crime arrests to be tracked from the date of an arrest through to the final outcome of the court case.

The Committee received a report that highlighted the scope of the project and examined how the information is collected and used and considered the next steps in the development of this project.

It was noted that the MPS do not have a system that can track a case from post arrest to judicial disposal and that a cross agency system was being developed which is Home Office designed and is to be used nationally. The MPS, however, has concerns over the ability of this system to provide acceptable information.

The MPS informed the committee that work on a joint performance management system was on going, however, the lack of investment in IT and as well as other resource issues had resulted restricting progress.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

21. Criminal Justice White Paper

(Agenda item 7a & 7b)

The white paper for reform of the criminal justice system ‘Justice for All’ was published in July 2002 and responses to it are required by 10 October 2002. The Committee received two reports that outlined some emerging MPA and MPS views and invited members to contribute their views on the white paper and which sought views for the process for an MPA response.

Agenda item 7a

The report from the MPA outlined responses from some Members (the Chair and Deputy Chair) of the Committee to the white paper. Arising from the discussion other members raised individual concerns/support on some aspects of the white paper.

In conclusion, it was agreed that before the closing date, members should again be given the opportunity to comment on the white paper, and a response forwarded to the APA, noting that it is not possible for the MPA to have a unanimous view of every part of the white paper.

Agenda item 7b

The report from the MPS, which highlighted emerging areas that the MPS felt required further clarification before an informed judgement could be made and these included: further details regarding domestic violence; double jeopardy; disclosure and case management; and the review of PACE codes of practice.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted;
2. the Committee note the emerging views on the white paper from the MPS; and
3. other members views be sought and included in a response to the APA that indicates that the MPA do not have a unanimous view on every part of the white paper.

22. Update on ‘Towards the Safest City’

(Agenda item 8)

The Committee received a report that outlined the current and future position of the strategic framework ‘towards the safety city’.

Resolved - That

1. members note the launch arrangements of ‘Towards the Safest City’; and
2. the process to further develop the ‘Towards The Safest City’ into a three year strategy plan as required under the Police Reform Act be agreed.

23. Policing and Performance Plan 2003/04

(Agenda item 9)

The Committee received a report that set out the range of factors that are influencing the MPA priorities for 2003/04 including the contents of local crime and disorder strategies, the goals contained in the ‘towards the safest city’, results of the public consultation process and current programme. The report also provided a summary of the key steps and decisions leading to the publication of the 2003/04 policing and performance plan.

Resolved – That

1. members note the factors influencing the setting of the MPA priorities for 2003/04 and the present position in relation to each; and
2. members note the key steps and decisions leading up to the full Authority meeting in October 2002 and a summary of scheduled actions ahead of publication of the policing performance plan in March 2003.

24. Proposals for youth targets 2002/03

(Agenda item 10)

The Committee received a report that outlined the proposed measures and targets to be used to assess the achievement of the youth objectives that have been set within the MPS policing plan in support of the priority’ to tackle youth crime’.

In considering objectives 12 and 13, it was agreed that with regard to objective 12 further work was required on the proposed 3% reduction year on year, while Offences with child victims should be withdrawn. The inclusion of identifying the number of offences recorded by officers in schools should be included in this objective.

It was agreed that for objective 13 proposed measures 2 to 4 should remain unchanged and measure 1 deleted.

Resolved – That the measures and targets to be set for Objective 12 and 13, subject to those comments made by members, be agreed.

25. Managing demand and operational policing best value

(Agenda item 11)

The Committee received a report that informed members that prior to the establishment of the Authority, the MPS had proposed a programme of best value reviews, including two, which were managing operational policing and managing demand. The MPA had retained both of these reviews in its best value review programme. The report outlined the project initiation document for the first phase of the reviews.

Resolved – That

1. members approve the best value review being spilt into two phases: phase 1 – managing demand; and phase 2 – operational policing; and
2. the project initiation document be approved for phase 1 – managing demand, as given at Appendix 1 to the report.

26. Records management best value view implementation

(Agenda item 12)

Members received a report that outlined the implementation plan for the improvement to records management detailed in the final report of the records management best value review.

Resolved – That

1. the records management best value review implementation plan and related management arrangements be approved; and
2. members receive a formal update at six monthly intervals.

27. Implementation plan for crime management best value review

(Agenda item 13)

The Committee considered a report that informed members that the crime management best value review that been approved by the former Finance, Planning and Best Value Committee in April 2002 and that an Implementation Project Board had been established. The report presented members with the implementation plan, to which approval was sought and that allowed members to monitor progress as well as track the costs and benefits of implementation.

Resolved – That

1. the implementation plan as attached as Appendix 1 to the report be approved; and
2. that Committee receive a formal update twice a year on the progress of implantation, the costs incurred and benefits delivered.

28. Future dates for meetings of the committee

(Agenda item 14)

Following a request by the Committee, a report was considered that proposed changes of dates for meetings of the committee for the remainder of 2002/03

Resolved – That the proposed changes of dates of the meetings of the committee for the remainder of 2002/03, as outlined in the report, be agreed.

The meeting ended at 4.20 p.m.

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